REGGIE (REGINA) BEHL
REGGIE BEHL, Artist, Teacher, and Art Missionary. was born in New York City in 1922, grew up in Long Beach Long Island, and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) from Pratt Institute, majoring in Art Education. She has taught Art in all levels, from preschool up through Continuing Education and loves every minute of it. After raising 3 boys in Southern California, she returned to school, and received her Masters in Painting from California State University at Northridge. She has exhibited her paintings, won many honors, and has work in several museums and prestigious public collections. She was elected a member of the National Water Color Society. Some years ago, while living in New Jersey, she started teaching "Fun" art classes for Rutgers University Extension - courses such as "Art walks", and "The World Through An Artist's Eyes".

After moving to Albuquerque in 1979, based on her extensive traveling, during which she was sketching constantly, she developed the "Quick Sketching for Travel" weekend workshop concept for University of New Mexico Continuing Education, which she was still teaching several times a year. This workshop was also a sellout at the University of California until late in 2007, when she "retired" after having presented 63 weekend workshops. She had also taught this same workshop at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, and the County Museum of Natural History in Los Angeles, plus a variation called "Quick Sketching for Interior Designers" for the International Institute of Interior Designers. The classes generated a large cheering section of sketchers who have kept in contact with her for years, constantly sending her their latest efforts.

She has also given the workshops at the Smithsonian, the Los Angeles Museum of Natural History, and for seventeen years at the University of California (63 workshops), where they have been consistently oversubscribed. She found, in her travels, that photography is not always welcome in some areas today, but somehow, sketching is, and often opens the door to interesting and unusual adventures. You get to meet some of the most interesting people, and get invited into places you would never have known about. If you don't know the language or dialect, sketching is a great communications medium. On trips, her frequent travels, she averages 100 quick (two or three minute) sketches per week. She has a BFA from Pratt Institute, and an MA in painting from California State University at Northridge. She has had one person shows, won many prizes, and her paintings are held by several museums and in private collections. She was elected a member of the National Water Color Society, and honored by the City of Los Angeles with an exhibit in the city gallery. The workshops use some of material and experiences she has recorded during her everyday life and travels in over 70 countries, and all of the continents, plus all over this country. A recent exhibit, Explorations, at the University of New Mexico's Jonson Gallery used unusual materials such as copper, manipulated foil, stainless steel shavings, silverpoint, and map imagery. Her students learn how to use the tools and techniques of quick sketching to enrich their travel and everyday experiences. They are taught how other people have documented their own experiences, and ideas, in sketch form and how to develop their own personal systems through demonstrations, practice sessions from slides, photographs, and life. She is presently in the throes of writing a book on Quick Sketching for Travel. For information on workshops in Albuquerque, contact University of New Mexico Continuing Education at 505-277-2527.

In her most recent exhibit of paintings at the University of New Mexico's Jonson Gallery, she used unusual materials such as copper, manipulated foil, stainless steel shavings, and silverpoint. This, combined with her global travel sketches, suggested the name of the exhibit - "Explorations". She is recently in the throes of writing a book on Quick Sketching for Travel, at the request of many of her ex-students. Her travels, with her husband, Hal, covered all of the continents, and over 70 countries.

She is a fantastic gardener, who has organized annual sales of surplus plants, which raised substantial amounts of money for People Living Through Cancer.

She has a wonderful family - Sons and daughters in law Bob and JoAnna of Palo Alto California, Ed and Jeannie of Weston Florida, Rick and Krisztina of Laguna Beach California. Grand daughters Kristi Bayne, and Debbie Boucher. Grandsons Doug and Danny, Great Grand Daughter Kalyssa Bayne, along with several Grand dogs and cats. Her Long term sweetheart and husband Hal is still active in Albuquerque.